occupational hazard
by eastwindholmes
Summary: symbiosis - five times spencer gets hurt on the job and one time zack does


A/N: A/U in which Spencer and Zack have been in a long time committed relationship over the course of the Criminal Minds series

five times spencer gets hurt on the job and one time zack does

* * *

Spencer winced at the pulling sensation as a nurse stitched up his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled softly. Hotch had made his way back into the emergency room, Spencer looked at him hollowly. "We called Zack," Hotch told him.

Spencer worried his lower lip. "Hotch. I just started dating him six months ago, I don't want to worry him with somethings like this."

Hotch waved off his concerns. "He said he's on his way and that he's coming to drive you home. He's instructed me not to let you out of my sight."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "He's a bit...bossy," Spencer said with a faint grin.

"He's a good kid. I never thought I'd meet anyone as sharp as you are, and he certainly gives you a run for your money," Hotch praised quietly.

Spencer grinned, wincing as the nurse tugged on the thread. Several minutes later, a haphazardly dressed Zack Addy threw himself into the room. He took one look at Spencer before rushing to his side. "Let me see," he muttered, bringing his hands up to rest on Spencer's face gently.

Spencer obliged, and Zack lightly brushed chestnut hair off of Spencer's forehead. "How the hell did this happen?" he asked.

"An unsub uh, barricaded us in the hospital. Hotch had to pretend to beat me up so I could get the upper hand," Spencer explained before trailing off.

Zack looked at him. "What happened next, Spence?"

"I shot him," Spencer whispered hoarsely. "He's dead."

Zack's face softened and he sat on the edge of Spencer's bed. He was never really adept at social cues, but with Spencer, it was different. It was almost like he could tell when his boyfriend was in pain. "Spencer," he said softly.

Reid passed a hand over his face, trying to play off his distress. "This better not be a common occurrence," Zack threatened lightly.

The corners of Spencer's mouth quirked into a smile. "It's an occupational hazard I guess," he said quietly.

Zack smiled, squeezing Spencer's hand. "I have dinner ready at home, if you'd like to spend the night."

Spencer's eyes lit up. "That sounds fantastic.

* * *

It was about fifteen months after the incident with Phillip Dowd when Spencer Reid was taken. It was the middle of February and the air was chilly. They were on the search for another serial killer when Tobias Hankel kidnapped Spencer from his remote farm land. Hotch called Zack that night. "Hi. Zack Addy? It's Aaron Hotchner, Spencer's boss."

Zack froze. The last time Agent Hotchner had called him, Spencer had a pretty bad head wound. "What happened to Spencer?" he asked immediately.

"Spencer's been taken. We aren't trying to cause any panic, but if you would like to fly out to us, we can meet you at the airport in Atlanta."

"I'll be on the next flight out."

Zack grimaced. He shoved several articles of clothing into a duffel bag and slammed the door behind him. He dialed Hodgins, explaining himself hastily. Hodgins hung up the phone, promising to be there in less than twenty minutes. Zack paced in the lobby of his apartment building. When the headlights of Angela's minivan glinted through the glass doors, Zack hurried out. He climbed into the passenger seat wordlessly, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Zack. Good luck," Angela said sincerely as Zack exited the van, making a beeline for the airport entrance.

Zack bought a plane ticket and flew the red eye flight to Atlanta. He landed around six AM the next morning. Agent Jareau met him at the baggage claim. "J.J," he said breathlessly, jogging over to where she stood.

She took it, shaking it firmly. "Zack. It's wonderful to see you again, I just wish it were under better conditions," she said bitterly.

Zack nodded mutely. "Please tell me what happened?"

J.J bit her lip. "Spence and I were chasing down Tobias Hankel. He uh, suggested that we split up, and he went searching the fields. Tobias managed to knock him out and take him away," she explained. "It's uh, it's my fault. I shouldn't have let him leave me."

Zack chewed on his lower lip. "While objectively, yes that was a poor judgment call, I can positively assume you never wanted Spencer to be kidnapped. So I suppose, on an emotional level, it's not your fault at all," he said sincerely.

J.J smiled warily. She had spent enough time with Zack to know that was a gesture of kindness, rather than an accusatory confrontation. She helped heave his duffel bag into the backseat of an Escalade before driving away. "Do you know where he is?" Zack asked, masking the worry he felt.

"No, we don't, but I can tell you none of us will rest until Spencer comes back," J.J reassured.

"I want to help," Zack said immediately.

"I'll talk to Hotch but I'm not sure you'd be able to, but I promise you we're working our hardest."

Zack cleared his throat. "No offense to anyone in the B.A.U but Spencer is a genius. I am also a genius. He's missing, so you'll need another genius to help find the first genius."

J.J sighed. "You have to talk to Hotch," she repeated.

Hotch had sent Zack to his hotel, promising at least a dozen times to call him if anything had changed. Zack spent the next day pacing and pulling his hair. He could hear Spencer cry out in his nightmares, and he woke up in a cold sweat, swiping away tears that formed in his tired eyes. It was the night of the second day when Hotch called him, telling him that Spencer is alive and headed to a local hospital. Zack nearly tripped down the stairs and hailed a cab, shaking with fear and relief. He stumbled through the front door and practically threw himself at the emergency room front desk. "I'm here for Spencer Reid," he wheezed.

A nurse directed him to a triage room and Zack sprinted into it, eyes falling on Spencer who was lying in a bed, pale and weakened. Zack's lower lip trembled, and in a rare moment of weakness, he let out a loud sob. Spencer blinked slowly, craning his neck. He outstretched his arms and Zack collapsed into his embrace. "I hate you," Zack mumbled between stuttering cries. "I hate you for scaring me like that."

Spencer wordlessly gripped his boyfriend, shaking as tears fell. "I was so scared Zack," he gasped. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

Zack tightened his embrace. "Don't say that, you're here. And you're alive. And I'm here."

Spencer pushed his hair back. Zack could see the faint scars from his stitches. He pressed a kiss into Spencer's chest. "You can't do this again, Spencer, you're going to kiss me," he muttered.

"It's an occupational hazard," Spencer whispered, tiredness filling his bones. He drifted off peacefully.

* * *

Zack was started to get rather irritated with the mechanisms of chance. A little over two years after Spencer came home and he was in danger again. He was starting to get used to the impromptu calls and Agent Hotchner's uneasy tone. He was finishing a lecture on degenerative bone diseases and their affect on human remains when his phone began buzzing. He excused himself from his students. "Agent Hotchner," he greeted.

"Zack. I'm so sorry. But you need to go to the hospital. Spencer is there, recovering from an on the job injury," Hotch sighed.

Zack's brow furrowed. "Forgive me for saying, Agent Hotchner, but that's exceptionally vague. Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can, but can you elaborate on Spencer's condition?"

Hotch gritted his teeth. "Zack. No, I can't I'm sorry, it's classified information. I can only tell you that he's going to be okay, and he's been asking for you."

Zack hung up, confused. Walking back into the lecture hall, he announced. "I'm going to have to continue this lecture next time, I have had a family emergency."

He excused his students and grabbed his briefcase. Hailing a cab, he rode to the hospital in silence. This was becoming an all too frequent occurrence and he would have to have a firm discussion with both Spencer and someone else on the team, because they needed to be looking out for him a lot better than they had been. He walked into the emergency room. "Agent Spencer Reid," he told the receptionist. "I'm here to visit him."

The receptionsist nodded, clicking keys on the keyboard. "He just came from the ICU, he's over there."

Zack entered Spencer's hotel room, tossing his briefcase on a chair. Zack took a seat at the foot of Spencer's bed. "Spence. I'm gonna have a legitimate heart attack," he told his boyfriend seriously.

Spencer flushed. "I'm sorry Zack," he said apologetically.

"I'm not mad at you, I'm just worried," Zack explained. "I know you said this was an occupational hazard, but I'm starting to fear for your life every time you go out on a case. It makes me worry that every time I see you will be the last."

"So you're leaving me?" Spencer asked, face falling.

Zack shook his head. "Never. I was actually, well, I was saving this for our anniversary in a few months, but I'm not sure if you'll live that long," he said jokingly.

He got off the bed and went back to his briefcase, rummaging around inside. His fingers closed over a small black velvet box. "Spencer. I'm really awkward and I've been searching for a way to ask you this for months. But considering your occupational hazards, I think now is as good of a time as any to ask you to marry me," Zack said bashfully.

He didn't receive verbal confirmation until Spencer stopped kissing him. "I love you," Spencer said, resting his head on Zack's shoulder.

"I love you too," Zack replied, an unidentifiable fuzzy feeling glowing in his chest.

* * *

Four months had passed since Spencer's last incident. The couple was in the throes of wedding planning, receiving the support and friendship from both of their friend groups. It was late September. Zack was spending a day at his office, meeting new students and outlining his lesson plan. His phone began ringing and he nearly rolled his eyes when he read the caller ID. "Agent Hotchner. What happened to him now?" Zack asked wryly.

To his surprise, Hotch let out an uncharacteristic chuckle. "He got shot, he's in the hospital."

Zack dropped the paper he was holding. "Where did he get shot? Was it bad?" he asked, shrugging on his coat and tripping out the door.

"He got shot in the leg, it went clean through, but they want to hold him for a day or so in observation."

Spencer sat in his hospital bed anxiously. He knew Zack was on the way and he was nervous. Would Zack be mad at him? He did have an uncanny knack for getting hurt, but he never intended to go out on a case and come back injured. When Zack appeared in his doorway, he gave him a sheepish grin. "Afternoon dear," he greeted weakly.

Zack huffed. "Spencer William Reid this is the fourth time I've had to sit by your bedside in the hospital. Are you trying to kill me?" he asked accusingly, collapsing by Spencer's bedside. "This is utterly ridiculous, that's an objective and subjective observation," he added bitterly.

Spencer shook his head emphatically. "It just happens, it's an occupational hazard," he said lamely.

Zack rolled his eyes. "You need to stop doing that macho hero stuff. Leave that to Derek, or for godsake, even Hotch. You're not indestructible. For godsake dear, you're not even thirty," Zack chided gently.

Spencer bit his lip. "Yes sir," he said meekly.

Zack pushed the hair out of Spencer's eyes. "I can't afford to lose you, ok?" he said firmly.

"Ok," Spencer agreed, leaning into the touch.

* * *

Zack sat on the plane, oozing with anger. Agent Hotchner had called him out to Texas. The phone call was brief, but Spencer had been shot in the line of duty. Again. His husband of three years had managed to evade trouble for almost half a decade. Though, Zack supposed, 'luck' can't last forever. He know Dr. Brennan didn't believe in luck, and logically, neither does he. But he doesn't know what else to call the periods of time that Spencer goes out on cases and comes home uninjured. The couple got married late in the summer of 2011. The day was joyous, as both the BAU and the Jeffersonian staff attended, teary eyed as Zack and Spencer kissed for the first time as a married couple. They had settled down in Georgetown, Zack continued to teach at the local university, and Spencer continued his work as profiler. They reveled in each other's presence, and they grew strong as a couple and as individuals.

Zack hurried through the Dallas airport, meeting up with David Rossi. "Nice to see you, Zack," Rossi said with a smile smile.

Zack merely nodded, smiling stiffly. "How is he?" he asked, concerned.

Rossi's smile faltered. "He just got out of surgery. They say he's stable but he's still in intensive care."

Zack swallowed the lump in his throat, his anxiety coarsing through his veins. They rode to the hospital, chatting amicably. After Rossi parked the SUV, Zack followed him into the emergency room. They passed through a heavy set of metal doors, and Rossi pointed out Spencer's room. Zack entered quietly, his husband fast asleep. He greeted Penelope, who was sitting in a chair by Spencer's bed. "He just got out of surgery, they say he should wake up any time now," she relayed as Zack took the seat next to her.

He chuckled. "We went a good five years without Spencer being in some kind of danger," he told Penelope.

She laughed. "He kind of attracts trouble doesn't he?"

Zack nodded, rolling his eyes. "I worry about him. Which isn't logical. Five accidents over the course of a decade isn't anything too horrendous, it's still five times too often for my liking," he observed, reaching out to hold Spencer's hand.

Penelope smiled softly. "He talks about you, all the time, even to this day. It's been a full decade of 'Zack said' this and 'Zack showed me' that," she told him. "We could all tell, after you two got together, that he was happier. I'm not a profiler, but it would be impossible to miss. Before you guys got together, he always looked...worried. Now, look at him," she gestured to Spencer, who was still asleep, with a faint smile etched oto his face.

"He's made me really happy too," Zack said fondly.

Spencer felt extremely groggy. A stabbing pain radiated in his neck, and his limbs felt heavy. He blinked slowly, vision clearing. He could smell Zack, the faint traces of disinfectant and pine lingered in the room. Zack was leaning against his hospital bed, head down and snoring softly. Zack had his arm dangling over the bed rail. Spencer squeezed Zack's hand weakly. Zack's head shot up and he met Spencer's bleary gaze. "Spencer. I don't even think I need to tell you that I'm worried. Your eidetic memory has plenty of recollections of me fussing over you," Zack reasoned, eyes watering slightly. "But I'm gonna tell you anyways, that I was worried as hell and that I swear some day you'll be the death of me."

Spencer let out a hoarse wheeze. "Occupational hazard," he repeated.

Zack merely rolled his eyes, leaned in, and pressed a kiss onto Spencer's chapped lips.

* * *

Zack sat in the hospital bed, fidgeting with the blanket. He was lecturing one of his classes when he became extremely light headed. He fell, hitting his head on the podium. After coming to in the hospital room, he felt extremely foolish. Shame flooded his senses when Spencer burst through the door, worry written all over his face. "Zack," Spencer said, rushing to his side.

"I'm fine," Zack protested, flushing under his husband's worried gaze. "I just fell. Vasovagal syncope, they said. I wasn't feeling to great this morning and I guess my body just needed to rest."

Spencer ignored him and sat on the foot of his bed, collecting Zack's hand into his own. "I told Hotch. They were flying out on a case and he said I can join them later."

Zack turned an even deeper shade of red. "I didn't intend to interrupt your work," he sputtered.

Spencer ignored his concerns dismissively. "If I can recall, you have rushed to my bedside a whopping 5 times since we started dating. I owe you."

Zack smiled. "Remember what you always told me, whenever I expressed my concern?"

Spencer laughed. "Occupational hazard," he remarked.

Zack scrunched up his nose. "I guess my profession has a few occupational hazards of their own," he said lightly, running his fingers through Spencer's hair.


End file.
